And this was

  their reply to us:

We are the servants of the God

        of heaven and earth....

                      Ezra 5. 11

(How should we then live?

In such a way that others

   recognize something 

                 different about us,

       Someone different in us.

Not just “nice” people,

            but His dwelling in us,

transformed,

redeemed

       and serving the Almighty,

faithful to Him.

How do I approach this work,

these people,

this difficulty before me,

His day for me

             differently

because the LORD 

        is my strength?)

O LORD,

Create in us 

      a clean heart,

      a refreshed vision,

      every ability we need

          to serve You today

   and bring You glory.

We serve You.

We can’t help but serve You

       because we love You,

       and because You love us.

Write Your name over this day,

engrave Your name 

              in our hearts,

and bring Your glory

    to whatever we do.

   

And all the people 

shouted with a great shout

when they praised the LORD 

...and the sound

      was heard far away.

               Ezra 3. 11, 13

(Worship resounds

             over and over

in how we live,

pray,

respond to others

        and their needs,

what we do,

why we do it,

and how we do 

   whatever God has 

   placed before us.

The Hebrew word avodah 

means simultaneously 

work, 

worship, 

and service to God.

Worshipping the LORD 

does not just seep 

          into the culture 

     and community around us.

It overflows like a mighty river,

  and reverberates 

             like a mighty shout,

    changing the course

                  of our days

by changing our hearts.)

O LORD,

May we worship You

in all we do today,

how we work,

what we do,

and by who we are in You.

May You be glorified 

    far beyond our efforts,

    comprehension,

    and service 

to point others to you,

      even those 

          we do not yet know, 

even those yet unborn,

even those we would 

           never ever expect.

Wait for the LORD;

be strong,

and let your heart 

            take courage;

wait for the LORD!

    

             Psalm 27. 14

(Waiting for the LORD 

always follows 

      inquiring of the LORD.

Waiting is an action verb,

listening,

getting ready,

praying, living, 

      looking expectantly,

not just to what is next

  — shoes tied, backpack ready—

    but faithfully in the now.

Right here. Today. 

    Even in this.  Faithful 

            and faithfully done.

What has God placed 

                    before us today?

No detail too small

  that He cannot profoundly use.)

O LORD,

Help us to wait for You

and not run ahead 

of Your purposes in this.

This is not a barren time,

    but of becoming

    and ripening.

Help us to live eagerly in You,

not lagging behind

    but listening 

            and responding

and trusting You

    one step and then another.

Teach us Your way in this

   and be faithful to You

             in this day.

    

And stand 

    in the Holy Place...

       2 Chronicles 35. 5

(There are no ordinary places,

     nor where God is not,

but only sacred ground,

   right where we are today,

       to bring His glory there.

Stand with Him,

walk with Him,

seek out His Presence

        (already there!),

and be faithful to Him,

wherever,

among whomever,

in whatever He puts

           on our paths,

in whatever He places

           on our hearts,

   great and small,

even off trail,

even in what 

        we don’t yet understand.)

O LORD,

It is all sacred ground 

   where we walk with You.

They are all divine appointments, 

       not interruptions,

but strategic encounters,

even those unexpected,

maybe especially those

          not on our schedule,

          or agenda,

          or we even like.

May our liking

    be firm in Your likeness.

Help us to be faithful to You

       in the favorable,

       the different 

             and the difficult.

Your outcomes and glory

    are never singular,

but far beyond our understanding 

     and exceedingly beyond 

         the course of our lives.

And the men

did the work faithfully.

           2 Chronicles 34. 12

(No matter what

   God places before us,

whatever we do 

             in His Name,

every good endeavor 

   is always significant,

   more than we can know.

We stand on the bedrock 

of the faithfulness of others.

Faithfulness is not concerned 

    with success nor outcomes,

not acts of obligation,

but emerges from

          belonging to Him,

a state of steadfast love, 

why we do

          what we do.)

O LORD,

May we work faithfully today

in all that we do,

in whatever we do,

not for reward or recognition,

        but for Your glory,

even if we never see 

         the fruit You bear,

even if no one ever knows,

         but You do.

Nothing is insignificant 

          in Your eyes.

You have appointed

             Your faithful people 

in strategic 

   and unexpected corners

for Your glory.

Help us to 

    engrave Your name here,

    even through this.

...strive together with me

in your prayers to God

           on my behalf.

              Romans 15. 30

(It may appear that

we are not be able

       to help by doing,

  but we can pray.

We are not in this life alone.

But God empowers us

   to strive together

      side by side in prayer,

a deeper dimension 

         of loving each other.

Who are we holding up,

strengthening,

encouraging,

and striving with them?

Not “I’ll pray for you,”

but I am praying.)

O LORD,

We strive together 

  with all the saints

to come before You,

strengthened even ourselves 

      in the praying.

We know You always respond 

       in some way

when we cry out to you in despair 

     or praise out loud to You

                  in total joy.

Help us to be sensitive 

    not just to the needs of others,

but to seize the opportunity 

      to come alongside them,       aligned with Your heart

   to bless others by praying.

For Your glory.

In Your holy Name.

  

We who are strong

have an obligation 

  to bear with

  the failings of the weak,

and not to please ourselves.

Let each of us

please his neighbor 

   for his good,

   to build him up.

                Romans 15. 1-2

(God’s strengthening,

equipping,

blessing,

is never singularly focused,

never just about us,

but designed to spill over

   for the welfare of others

to encourage 

            and build them up,

more than we can ever realize.)

O LORD,

Open our eyes

         to You

and open our hearts

to those around us

and even those

     just on our path today.

Strengthen us 

      for Your glory.